Residents set to rally for Fox Canyon park

CITY HEIGHTS: Residents are planning a rally tomorrow to urge city officials not to give up on a planned park in Fox Canyon.

City officials were eyeing a new park in Fox Canyon, but those plans fell apart over a number of issues, including plans for a controversial road through the greenbelt. The city then decided to shift a $2.36 million state grant earmarked for Fox Canyon to a smaller site on Wightman Street, but officials have concluded the grant cannot be transferred and have decided to forfeit the state money.

The rally, sponsored by the Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association, is aimed at convincing the city to proceed with plans to build the Wightman Street Park.

The rally is slated to begin at 10 a.m. at 5024 Wightman St.–D.O.

Three candidates will vie for open City Council seat

CORONADO: Three candidates, including one former council member, hope to fill a vacant seat on the Coronado City Council in a May 19 special election.

Denny and Monroe both lost a November race to fill two seats. Monroe, who served two terms on the council, lost a re-election bid.

The council seat has been vacant since Casey Tanaka was elected mayor in November. The term ends November 2010.

The city's election will coincide with a recently called state special election for five ballot measures.–J.Z.

100th anniversary party set for Spreckels Library

CORONADO: The Spreckels Library will celebrate the original library building's 100th anniversary with an open house Saturday.

John D. Spreckels, the then-owner of the Hotel del Coronado, gave the library to the city. It was designed and built by noted architect Harrison Albright.

The original building serves as the Spreckels Reading Room in a 40,000-square-foot, recently expanded library.

Activities will begin with the Coronado Community Band performing in the library's courtyard at 10 a.m., followed an hour later by a talk on the library's history by Christian Esquevin, the library's director, in the facility's Winn Room.

The Puppets & Players Little Theatre will present a marionette show at 1 p.m. outside the Winn Room. There will be cake at 2:15 p.m., followed by the Sweethearts of Swing singing performance at 2:45 p.m.